Appraisal Of Life

I have been working in IT sector from last 7 Years and have gone through the appraisal process in all the companies, I have worked with. In the existing company also, recenlty we had appraisal process. Since then I have trying to think about this word "Appraisal" and about the title. Let's try find out the actual meaning.

As per the meaning found on the internet, the word Appraisal means: "1. An act of assessing something or someone/ 2. An expert estimate of the value of something".

In the company, as per this process we are given a form which contains a set of goals, which are categorized as: Department Goal, Team Goal and, Individual Goal. The employees are asked to do a self assement and rate themselves for each goal. Then there is one-to-one interaction with the Manager who would re-assess the ratings. This process is followed every year so that the employees are made aware of the shortcomings and their achievements in the assessment year. This would help the employee to improve his/her perfromance in the next assessment year.

Now this is what we do every year in our professions, but have we ever done the same process of "Appraisal" in our personal "Life". This is a question that keeps on coming to my mind. We live our lives every single minute, every hour, days, months, and years, but probably have not done the assessment not in a single year. We have taken our lives for granted. As per the definition the Appraisal: "an expert estimiates the value". Who else other than "ourselves" can be the EXPERT of our lives. Now the question is what is to be assessed in our lives.

In the company we work for 8 hours every single day and assess the work that we do. We live our life 24 hours a day and during this time we interact with many people like in the office with our colleagues, during the travel with co-passangers in the bus or, train, at home with our family or relatives. So in our day-to-day life we have become a part of others people's life.

My Blog, named "Phoenix"

The day I created my blog, even I was not sure why did I choose this name, but the reason I created a blog was to keep a record of all the good thoughts / sayings that I came across. Till now all the posts on the blog are either copied from the emails received or, from other websites. I never posted anything written by me. But from today, I will start posting the writings of my own. Also, I have got a good reason behind choosing the name for my blog.

As you have already read the story of "Phoenix", in the blog's title that it is a Mythical Sacred Firebird who at the end of its lifecycle builds a nest with cinnamom twigs and burns both the nest as well as itself. From the ashes a new phoenix arises, and the bird is said to regenerate when hurt or wounded by a foe, and thus being almost immortal and invincible - a symbol of fire and divinity.

On this beautiful planet earth, we "Human Beings" tend to do everything instead of "Being Human". Each of us is running behind earning the worldy pleasures which we think are the MOST important in our lives. We have been putting so much effort to earn money, buy comforts like big house, car etc. for ourselves but have we been ever satisfied with what we have? Answer would always be "NO", instead have been putting even more efforts than before. In this whole process we have developed so much hatred in our hearts and even have hurted so many people around us. So, my reason behind naming the blog as mentioned was to keep a record of good thoughts which myself or anyone can go through anytime and as it is mentioned in the story of the phoenix, the bird burns itself and is regenerated being immortal. Similarly, not simply by reading such good thoughts but also by putting it in action into our lives we can burn the desires, the hatred in our hearts and improve ourselves to live much better life. Once we achieve doing this, we will be re-born like the "Phoenix" bird and after our death we will be immortal in the hearts of the people whose lives we have touched.

Since, good thoughts / sayings are not just restricted to emails/websites, it may be heard or said while interacting with people, may be friends, family, colleagues etc., around you, or, even from your own life experiences. As my mother tells me "You may tend to forget what you hear, but once you write it down, you would never forget and remember it by heart throughout your life". By posting such writings is small step that I have taken towards improving myself and hope to put all these good thoughts in action in my life.

Putting Pieces of World Together

A father was trying to read the newspaper, but his little son kept pestering him. Finally, the father grew tired of this and, tearing a page from the newspaper – one that bore a map of the world – he cut it into several pieces and handed them to his son.

‘Right, now you’ve got something to do. I’ve given you a map of the world and I want to see if you can put it back together correctly.’

He resumed his reading, knowing that the task would keep the child occupied for the rest of the day. However, a quarter of an hour later, the boy returned with the map.

‘Has your mother been teaching you geography?’ asked his father in astonishment.

‘I don’t even know what that is,’ replied the boy. ‘But there was a photo of a man on the other side of the page, so I put the man back together and found I’d put the world back together too.’

"What did I do to deserve this ?"

Sometimes we wonder,

"What did I do to deserve this ?" or "Why did God have to do this to me ?"

Here is a wonderful explanation!

God's Cake

A daughter is telling her Mother how everything is going wrong, she's failing algebra, her boyfriend broke up with her and her best friend is moving away.

Meanwhile, her Mother is baking a cake and asks her daughter if she would like a snack, and the daughter says, "Absolutely Mom, I love your cake."

"Here, have some cooking oil," her Mother offers.

"Yuck" says her daughter.

"How about a couple raw eggs?" "Gross, Mom!"

"Would you like some flour then?

Or maybe baking soda?"

"Mom, those are all yucky!"

To which the mother replies: "Yes, all those things seem bad all by themselves. But when they are put together in the right way, they make a wonderfully delicious cake! "

God works the same way. Many times we wonder why He would let us go through such bad and difficult times. But God knows that when He puts these things all in His order, they always work for good! We just have to trust Him and, eventually, they will all make something wonderful!

God is crazy about you . He sends you flowers every spring and a sunrise every morning. Whenever you want to talk, He'll listen. He can live anywhere in the universe, and He chose your heart.

If you like this, send this on to the people you really care about.

Life may not be the party we hoped for, but while we are here we might as well dance.

I just want to live like a TV

One day a teacher of a primary school asked her students to write a essay about what they would like God to do for them.

Later in the evening while checking those essays at home, she came across one that made her very emotional. Her husband, who just walked in saw her crying, enquired: “What happened?”

Handing over a sheet of paper, she answered, “Read this. It's an essay by one of my students”

The essay, “I just want to live like a TV” read as under:

Oh God, tonight I ask you something very special: Make me into a television. I want to take its place.

Live like the TV in my house. Have my own special place and have my family around ME.

To be taken seriously when I talk . . . I want to be the centre of attention and be heard without interruptions or questions.

I want to receive the same special care that the TV receives even when it is not working.

Have the company of my dad when he arrives home from work, even when he is tired. And I want my mom to want me when she is sad and upset, instead of ignoring me . . .

And . . . I want my brothers to fight to be with me . . . I want to feel that family just leaves everything aside, every now and then, just to spend some time with me.

And last but not least make it that I can make them all happy and entertain them.

Lord I don't ask you for much . . . I just want to live like every TV.”

Having finished reading the essay, the husband gravely remarked: “My God, poor kid. What horrible parents!”

Tears rolling down her cheek, she looked up at him and calmly said: “That essay is written by our son!!!”

Don't Blame Others For Your FAILURE

One of the fathers of psychology, Carl Young, says that none else is responsible for the failures of a person other than himself or herself. One has to climb many steps to reach the top of the ladder of success and just one wrong step may lead to one's fall. TO BE SUCCESSFUL and realise true potential, one has to persevere with full body and mind coordination.

Demon king Ravana became the target of despise because of his misbehaviour with women, and dictator Hitler, because of his hatred for Jews.

We come across people who succeed initially but slide into infamy because of their greed. Popularity acquired with persistence thus vanishes with just one wrong step in life.

Vinaasa kaale vipareeta buddhi is a wise saying in Telugu. A person who is not content even after reaching a comfortable position either in career or in life is bound to fail.

The slippery path

Any one of the following tendencies can jeopardize the career of any individual. They are negative thinking, ego, greed, trickery, impatience, vengeance, extortion, postponement, eccentricity, rigidity, self-pity, obsession and negligence. Such characteristics symbolise a negative person. Negative people jeopardize not only their lives but also of those dependent on them.

If, people, besides living in the present, begin to like others and their surroundings, the situation improves over a period. This is the success secret of many stalwarts viz. Dr. Abdul Kalam, Mother Therese and many a more.

You can alter your thoughts

Your thoughts are your own and you can modify them in the direction you want any time.

Your thoughts fall into two categories. Your thoughts may concern changing your behaviour to achieve a desired result or they concern your desire to achieve something.

People need to practice a lot to change their behaviour. For instance, the husband of a foolish woman, instead of trying to change his wife's behaviour, should strive to give up anger and develop patience. When the husband thus changes himself, he finds the world around him more beautiful.

Similarly, instead of blaming the boss for his/her bad behavior, a subordinate should ensure that he does not incense the boss.

EVERY THING IS POSSIBLE

If you want to achieve something, you have to change your negative thoughts into positive ones. There is nothing wrong with people desiring to earn a fortune.

To achieve the goal, they should not adopt dishonest means. Such behavior lands them in jail one day or the other

A person who held several important positions continued to indulge in irregularities, he had to bow out of office in shame.

Similarly, a senior bureaucrat who indulged in irregularities even after his retirement is cooling his heels behind the bars.

To lead a peaceful life, a person needs to be healthy. He or she should have enough income to support the family and confidence to steer it out of difficulties, and love-based friends and not need-based friends.

BE THANKFUL

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire. If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something, for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations, because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary, because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who are also thankful for the setbacks.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles, and they can become your blessings.